Matomo vs Open Web Analytics (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Matomo if

• Fits if your analytics data has to stay on your own servers
• Works for public bodies, EU sites and teams leaving Google Analytics

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you don't want to run a server and can't pay for the cloud
• Pricey if you self-host and want heatmaps, with the Team bundle at €230 a month billed yearly for 4 users
• Tight if you have more than 30 sites or 30 people on Cloud Business, or need over 24 months of raw data
• Watch out: self-hosted bundles are priced in euros only, and the free edition gets forum support only
• Watch out: the cloud trial's length isn't stated, and the cloud rises to $204 a month at 1M hits

Pick Open Web Analytics if

• Fits if you can host PHP and want analytics you control
• Works for people with several sites on one install

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you don't want to run a server and database
• Not for you if you need paid support, as it's only a wiki and GitHub
• Watch out: WordPress needs a separate plugin and other PHP apps use the SDK
• Tight if you want funnels, since none are listed
• Watch out: the site gives no company details or founding year

Matomo

• Self-hosted premium bundles are priced in euros only; Cloud shows dollar prices to US visitors.
• On your own server, heatmaps, session recordings, funnels and A/B testing are paid plugins or bundles, not part of the free edition.
• Cloud Business caps you at 30 websites, 30 team members and 24 months of raw data; more needs Cloud Enterprise.
• Self-hosting means you run the server, updates and backups yourself, with forum support only on the free edition.

Open Web Analytics

• It is self-hosted only; there is no hosted service on the pages read, so you manage the server, database and upgrades.
• WordPress needs a separate OWA integration plugin, and other PHP apps use the PHP SDK.
• Support is through the documentation wiki and the GitHub repository; no paid support is listed.
• The site publishes no founding year or company details; the project is run on GitHub.

Matomo

Full web analytics without sampling

Traffic, campaigns, ecommerce, events, site search, visitor maps and visitor profiles, with report data kept forever and no data sampling.

Data ownership and privacy

Data stays on your own servers or in Matomo Cloud in Frankfurt, with a GDPR manager and privacy options for what is collected.

Heatmaps and session recordings

Included in Cloud Business and, for self-hosters, in the Team bundle and above; also sold as a separate plugin.

A/B testing, funnels and forms

A/B tests, conversion funnels, user flows and form analytics come with Cloud Business; on your own server they are premium plugins or bundles.

Google Analytics importer and APIs

Imports historical Google Analytics data, and offers HTTP Analytics and Tracking APIs plus log file analytics.

Tag manager

A built-in tag manager (30 containers on Cloud Business) to add and manage tracking codes without editing the site.

Open Web Analytics

Visitor and page tracking

Tracks visitors, page views, e-commerce transactions and configurable actions using a first-party JavaScript tracker.

Heatmaps

Generates click heatmaps for pages, as listed among the server's features on its GitHub page.

Domstream session recordings

Records visitor sessions in a feature called Domstream, so a visit can be replayed.

Many sites, many users

One OWA server can track an unlimited number of websites and offers a multi-user reporting interface.

REST API and modules

A REST API covers administration and data access, and custom modules extend the framework.

Cookie lifetime options

Tracker options shorten cookie lifetimes or make them session cookies, for sites that need a shorter retention period.

Matomo

• Community (On-Premise)$0

  Free self-hosted edition you run yourself: unlimited users and hits, base features and community plugins, forum support.

• Cloud Business$26

  per month for up to 50,000 hits, billed monthly

  Hosted in Germany: 30 sites, 30 users, 24 months of raw data, heatmaps, recordings, A/B tests, funnels. $42 a month at 100,000 hits, $204 at 1M.

• Team (On-Premise)€230

  per month, billed annually (€275 billed monthly)

  Self-hosted plugin bundle for up to 4 users and 5M hits a month: heatmaps and recordings, funnels, custom reports, email support.

• Business (On-Premise)€1,209

  per month, billed annually (€1,450 billed monthly)

  Up to 20 users and 30M hits a month. Adds cohorts, multi-channel attribution, roll-up reporting, activity log and white label.

• Enterprise (On-Premise)€2,834

  per month, billed annually (€3,400 billed monthly)

  Up to 50 users and 100M hits a month, A/B testing, a customer success manager, onboarding and chat support.

• Cloud EnterpriseCustom

  Sold through sales for larger sites: custom allowances and raw data retention, email support and a customer success manager.

Open Web Analytics

• Open source$0

  Free to download and self-host under GPLv2, with no paid edition listed. You supply the server and database.

Matomo

• Annual discount

  2 months free with annual billing

  Matomo Cloud billed annually costs 10 times the monthly price, a 17% saving; the self-hosted bundles are also about 17% cheaper billed annually.

• Nonprofit

  Discount for eligible nonprofits

  Matomo says eligible nonprofit organizations and charities may receive a discount; they contact the team to learn more.

Open Web Analytics

No public discounts listed.